Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our User Agreement and Privacy Policy.

Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement for details.

This presentation was given during a workshop at the Bay Area Open Space Council's November Gathering on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, CA. More info on the Bay Area Open Space Council's blog: http://openspacecouncil.org/2017novgathering/

In Sonoma County, our working and natural lands burned – yet were overall more resilient than built infrastructure

We are working under an incident command framework led by the County of Sonoma and City of Santa Rosa agencies – with CalOES, CalFire, FEMA, and others. It is truly amazing to see how quickly and effectively these agencies mobilize during a disaster. Countywide, it has been a race against time to try to secure building sites and debris flows prior to the rains and the potential toxic runoff associated with burned buildings. This work is still in progress.

There are several main areas of focus as the County shifts from emergency response to recovery

The District is engaged with the Operations section of the Watershed Recovery Task Force, as 2500 acres of District-owned land and 5000 acres of District-held conservation easements are within the burned area.

The District is also engaged with Long and Short Term Planning for the Task Force, and was asked to convene NGOs, watershed groups and RCDs to ensure that these organizations were engaged as part of the watershed recovery.

Working Groups focused in these areas Over 150 people have participated from over 60 organizations Great opportunity to prioritize short and long term actions through the lens of the fires – we have an incredible brain trust of NGOs, RCDs, academic organizations that are providing valuable insights into the recovery process. Will produce a report to our Board for their inclusion in recovery planning We will also integrate this learning into our Vital Lands Initiative as we move forward

I’ll now turn over the presentation to Sheri to talk a bit about the District’s on the ground response.

Morning of October 9, several fires swept through various parts of the County. Thousands of homes were lost over the next few days. Tens of thousands were displaced, evacuated, or were advised to be ready to evacuate at any time. Some lost their lives.

Emergency Response -Communications-ended up relying on text messages -Staff displaced, entire fabric of the community affected -Overall structure of response very fluid in early days- had emergency plan in place for District but not to deal with something of this magnitude where staff were so affected personally -Hard to think! Adrenaline and exhaustion. Shock, disbelief. Grief. Gratitude.

Early Response and Recovery actions -Staff deployed to emergency center, shelters. Everyone jumped in to help where they could. -Property access challenges. Road closures, hazardous conditions, some properties still on fire -Still in process of contacting affected easement landowners, approx. 30 easements were affected.

But as Bill mentioned, the land will recover. Some areas were more of an understory burn, as here along Porter Creek Road. This was 6 days after the initial fire.

Some areas were more severely burned, as on this slope above Mark West Creek

-As time passed we began to uncover impacts not recognized initially- such as melted HDPE pipe -Completed rapid assessment of damage to District-owned properties, identification of necessary work/repairs -in process of emergency permitting for projects -Contracting needs and process

-Incident command structure still in effect for recovery phase. So much to do, everyone wants to be -involved. Need this clear process to identify actions, define priorities and implement to avoid chaos.

-Emotional toll for all. Lots of learning, but lots of grieving.

And hope. The natural landscape will recover, is already recovering, on its own.

Built infrastructure will take longer—threats of flooding, debris flows. Toxicity issues. Will be monitoring all of this closely as we move through the winter season.

As far as the human tragedy… It is still very close, nerves are frayed, emotions are raw. It will take a long time for us all to fully recover.

A Nobody in Mashonaland, or, the Trials and Adventures of a Tenderfoot Kindle Edition by C. E. Finlason (Author)

This historic volume is from 1893. The story of a newspaper "tenderfoot" who followed the trail of the first Rhodesian settlers - with near disastrous but very entertaining results. Charles Edward Finlason, known affectionately as "Fin", was a delightful personality who made his name as a journalist and cricketer in South Africa in the 1880s and 1890s. Born in England, he emigrated to Kimberley when a young man, played for Kimberley Pirates' Cricket Club and, in 1889, represented South Africa against Major Warton's English team at Port Elizabeth. A year after Rhodes's Pioneers had crossed the Limpopo river to occupy Mashonaland, he journeyed to Salisbury by ox-drawn cart, and wrote of his experiences with both humour and an endearing modesty. Being such a novice at the trekking game he was blissfully unaware of the danger in which he often placed himself and was fortunate neither to have been eaten by lions nor to have hopelessly lost his way (he was unable to read his compass correctly!). Following so close on the heels of Randolph Churchill's lavishly-appointed expedition, (Men, Mines and Animals of South Africa) his choice of title for this book was almost certainly an oblique tongue-in-cheek reference to the "noble lord"..* ......*summary from Memories of Rhodesia.com